Brand to expandWhen Rompetrol began planning to move into Southern Europe, they knew that their current brand would not serve them well. They needed something that would position them as modern and international, and they needed a name that didn’t directly reflect their Romanian origins. Having worked with Saffron in the past on their Romanian operations, they engaged us to create an entirely new, pan-European brand that could compete in the cut-throat market of gasoline distribution.

Dramatically differentMost service stations around the world are ugly and unpleasant to use, probably because most oil companies regard retail as uninteresting and unprofitable. With the full support of Rompetrol, we quickly realised that this was an opportunity to redefine the fueling category from a very utilitarian and undifferentiated experience to an inviting and novel experience for vehicle owners. Working with Eight Inc, the architects behind the Apple Stores, we created the concept of Litro – a service station experience that is dramatic, dramatically different from the competition, and infinitely friendlier to use. The Litro name and the droplet, inspired by Brancusi, the Romanian sculptor, inspired a forecourt that is both visually arresting and a pleasure to use. The gas station’s personality is expressed through a pragmatic and stylised approach to all touch-points. From visual expression to architecture, it all spells efficiency.

Somewhere you’d want to stopLitro is clever; it offers value for money and is honest. It looks like a younger and smarter version of its “big oil” peers. During its first 3 weeks Litro retail sales increased by 300% when compared to Rompetrol sales – this later stabilised to 80%, still a fair margin. But perhaps the biggest sign of success is that Litro is a petrol station people actually enjoy filling up at. Not something you normally say about your local gas station – unless it happens to be a Litro!